


Leave a Piece of You Behind

by readwriteandavengers



Series: Of Time Travel and Magic [2]
Category: Constantine (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Demons, M/M, Magic, Rituals, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 07:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10714752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwriteandavengers/pseuds/readwriteandavengers
Summary: Ray Palmer decides to team up with Constantine, Chas, and Zed in hopes of saving a few souls and figuring out more about his powers in the meantime.





	Leave a Piece of You Behind

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, boy do I love the idea of Ray Palmer with some powers. I've had most of this written for awhile and don't feel like proofreading so I apologize for any mistakes! Thanks for reading!

“So…” Ray trails off as his throat gets dry. He swallows as he presses himself further, to ask the questions that need to be brought up. He needs to know, and the only person who apparently has an idea of what’s happening is a stranger he met in a grungy bar. “It’s magic? Like actual magic?”

“You’ve got it. I know. Hard to believe.” Constantine is leaned back in a wooden chair, feet propped up on a carved oak table. While his tone is lacking emotion, he looks smug where he lounges with the top button of his shirt open and his tie drooped to one side. He plucks the cigarette out from between his lips and offers it kindly to Ray.

Ray’s too focused on the impossible at the time, so he waves Constantine off distractedly. He decides to pace back and forth in front of the demonologist, in the man’s abode. Normally Ray wouldn’t easily come over to a stranger's, but then again Ray’s not used to having nightmarish visions either. “I’m a scientist. Magic isn’t one of my beliefs.”

“Well, it is now, mate.” Constantine’s voice is low as he answers. The cigarette smoke curls upwards until he brings it back to his lips. The tip turns a vibrant red as he takes a drag. While Ray’s heart seems to thump endlessly from nervousness, Constantine looks like he couldn’t be bothered.

“But how did this happen? Why now and why me? What am I?” Ray’s thoughts are starting to fall from his mouth. His stops his pacing to run a hand through his dark locks instead. His breathing has become irregular, so he takes in a deep breath and looks around the home to steady himself. He’d really be far more fascinated with the aged items John owns if it wasn’t for the fact he now knows magic exists and he has it.

“I can’t be sure. You’ve never practiced it before?” Constantine swings his feet down from the table, now resting his elbows on his knees instead. He keeps his eyes on Ray, watching him pace back and forth.

“Never.” Ray breathes, running a hand through his hair. He spins around as he flings his arms out in front of him carelessly. “Of course magic exists. Time travel exists.”

John quirks a brow at the sentiment. “Time travel exists?”

“I…” Ray tries but only a frustrated noise follows. He moves his hands around again as he tries to explain. “I travel with a team through time to avoid any aberrations that could harm our future.”

John sits back as suspicion sits in. “Really?” He poses, but there’s no question in his tone. Disbelief is the only emotion Ray can pick up.

“Yeah. I-I’m… I own Palmer Technologies. I’m Ray Palmer.” Ray turns fully towards Constantine as he offers his full name. As of yet, John had only known Ray as ‘Ray.’

“Mate, last I heard, you were dead.” Constantine’s eyes only narrow further as more information comes to the surface. Ray’s a pretty face, and when he’d explained to Constantine what was going on, he wanted to help. Going through something alone like that, without any prior knowledge of the world of magic would be… challenging. To say the least.

“Most of the general public thinks I am. I work with people like the Arrow-” Ray’s voice cuts off instantly when Constantine’s standing with a wide smile.

“Ah, Mr. Oliver Queen. I’m familiar.” He takes the cigarette out of his mouth and lays it on a worn bronze ash tray. Amusement radiates from him as he juts his chin out at Ray. “So you’re in the league of attractive superheroes.”

“Sort of.” Ray answers quietly.

“I’d be lying if I wasn’t surprised time travel exists. But hell, after the things I’ve seen I would be stupid to deny it.” Constantine takes steps closer towards Ray as he talks, keeping his hands in his pockets. “So where is your team now?”

Ray opens his mouth prepared with an answer, until realization reins him into his senses. “Oh.” He ducks his head with a sigh. “I left. I was having these… visions. I didn’t know how to handle them so I left to clear my head.”

Constantine lifts his hand, cupping his chin. He massages his jaw as he thinks. “I’m guessing they’re probably out looking for you then.”

Ray spins around, grabbing his jacket and sliding it back on himself hastily. He checks his pockets, making sure he has everything. “I should go. They’d probably assume the worst.” Ray starts to take steps towards the door they entered and Constantine follows. Ray turns around, causing Constantine to run right into him.

With a small chuckle and a flirtatious smile, Constantine takes a small step back.

“Are you-Will you still be here? I want to know what’s happening… with me. And Daeva Manor. Those visions I saw… I think I’m supposed to help those people.” Ray’s nerves have lifted, and his words are coming through a mile a minute. But the smile that Constantine provides soothes him slightly.

The warlock pulls out a card from his pocket and flips it around to show Ray the front side. It’s a business card, with John’s information on it. “I’ll do some research on the sight too. Here’s this, if you need to find me.” He explains as he passes the card over.

Ray exhales, his shoulders falling as tension escapes him. He takes the card gladly, holding it in his hand securely. “Thank you.”

Constantine gives him a nod, then reaches around him. Their faces are closer from the action, and from here Ray can feel Constantine’s breath against his skin. He smells like warmth, like a smoke and faded cologne. John’s eyes drop to Ray’s lips momentarily, before fleeting back up to let brown eyes meet brown.

The twist of the doorknob behind Ray shakes him out of the small reverie. Constantine’s backing up as he pulls the door open, causing the night air to waft against their skin. The fire Constantine had had heated their skin, making the cold air even colder. Ray holds back a shiver.

“I’ll see you soon, Ray.” Constantine’s voice is smooth with an added smile as he leans against the door.

The corner of Ray’s mouth tilts up in a nervous smile, but he gives Constantine a nod and leaves. The walks not incredibly far and it’s some peace and quiet Ray’s going to need. While he was able to find Constantine, or rather they found each other, they both still have no idea why Ray suddenly has powers.

Ray always had science on his side for almost every explanation. But there’s no test, experiment or technology that will ever explain magic.

Ray ducks his head, tracing the shadows the moonlight casts against the earth.

-

The door to the cargo entrance falls open as Ray nears it, so he wastes no time running in. It had started raining on his trip back, which was less than pleasant since it he’s now soaked from head to toe. His hair hangs over his forehead, weight down from the water. He shuts the door behind him, feeling the water cascade down his shoulders. Specifically, one drop of rain water falls from a loose curl, landing at his feet.

Ray shakes his head as he turns and heads through the rest of the ship. He’ll have to cross through the cortex before he makes it back to his room, which his heart stuttering nervously. He hopes he doesn’t find the rest of the team waiting for him with a shared looks of disappointment.

With a huff, he braces himself and walks into the cortex.

“Ray!” Jax looks up at the noise, his eyes landing on his teammate. He rushes forward with a blossoming smile, while Stein sighs in relief behind him. Jax looks like he wants to embrace Ray, but he gathers his relief and clamps a hand on Ray’s shoulder instead. “Glad to see you’re okay.”

Stein’s now next to them, looking between the two fondly. “I’ve let the team know you’re back.”

“Uh, thanks.” Ray responds blandly. He’s not meaning to be so cold but he’d like to get out of the situation as soon as possible. While he cares for his team, he’s not willing to stand around as they grill him about the most recent events. He forces a smile to his face as he steps away from Jax and Stein. “I’m going to go shower. I wasn’t expecting the rain.”

Jax looks hesitant at Ray’s words, but he melds and gives Ray a comfortable nod. “Sure, Ray.” He answers with his voice quiet, like he’s speaking a scared animal.

Ray feels his lips purse together as he gives them a curt nod. He doesn’t wait for any other reaction because he doesn’t want to open a doorway to talk. Keeping his head down is the best way to avoid any sort of conversation.

Behind him, Stein and Jax stare at his backside until he disappears beyond the wall. What he doesn’t see is the way they glimpse at each other in unison. The bonded pair shares a glimpse and a nod in wordless understanding, knowing Ray’s going through something they can’t help with.

-

The stream of the shower is warm as it cascades down Ray’s shoulders and further down his back. It’s a nice comfort, but Ray’s mind is running to wild to truthfully relax. He’s got his thoughts on the manor, on Constantine, and exactly what these powers mean for him and his future.

He’s starting to think about how the missions will be affected if he can’t control these powers. Ray will be more of a risk, and he already knows the team views him as a large one already. With erratic, unexplainable powers, he’ll only become more of an outcast. The Legends are a group of many talents and abilities, but somehow Ray finds it hard to imagine magic finding a place in this group.

At that thought, Ray’s chest aches so he turns to rest his head on the wall of the shower. He takes in a slow breath through his nose, but his thoughts never settle. The next thing he imagines is how the team is going to react.

He can see Sara’s look already. Slight apprehension, but she’ll push it off considering she was brought back from the dead. Ray imagines he’ll probably get a small talk about control from her and that’ll be it.

Rip’s seen many things, Ray’s sure. So magic can’t be too alarming. Hell, Ray would bet that Rip’s got some special book regarding all types of magic and whatever else there is to know. He thinks Rip would show the exact same exhausted disdain, claiming Ray should get it under control before anything else can happen.

Then there are the others. His stomach starts to churn at the idea. His captains’ reactions were easy to imagine, but his teammates are not so easy. He feels sick knowing the rejection he’d face. No one would want to talk about it… or they’d treat it like another quirk of Ray’s that just gets in the way.

Snart’s face slides into Ray’s mind next, before anyone else, and he can already see the agitation burning in his eyes. The disregard that Snart has for him hurts to the point Ray’s starting to feel breathless.

Ray forces his eyes open, reaching out desperately for the control pad. With a press against the screen, the water shuts off, leaving him surrounded by wisps of steam and the fogged glass door beside him.

With another breath, Ray steps out and grabs the nearest towel. He’s careless as he dries himself speedily, only trying to get out of the shower and back to his room as fast as he can.

-

Only a few minutes after Ray was dressed, Rip had called for a meeting in the cortex of the ship. While Ray wanted to ignore the request and hide in his room instead, he concocts a new idea.

Since the team is surely annoyed with his disappearance and lack of contact, Ray’s sure he’ll receive a few biting remarks and scolds, which he can handle, but he’s also going to get a few questions. Ray’s made the decision to not let the team know about the magic… not right away that is.

Not until he figures it out for himself first. He can’t have the team not trusting him on missions.

So he gathers himself and walks down the hall, straight towards the cortex. He’s not the last one there, which is nice. It means not all eyes are instantly on him once he enters.

“Nice of you to come back, Haircut.” Mick grumbles from where he stands. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he shows Ray no slack. He’s clearly upset about having to go out and look for his teammate, only for Ray to show up an hour or so later on his own. He’s sure Mick doesn’t think so, but Ray does feel guilty for his teammates concern over him.

“Lay off, Mick.” Snart snaps as he walks around the corner with Jax at his side. Now the entire team is present, but Rip hesitates to glimpse over towards Ray.

“Ray, is there anything you’d like to talk about? We understand the Daeva Manor may have had a severe impact, we saw your drawings…” Rip asks softly, to which the rest of the team turn towards Ray as they await an answer. Some look kind and open, while a few, such as Mick, Snart, and Amaya look displeased at the concept of talking about feelings.

Ray swallows, giving a curt nod. “I’ve gotten myself under control. But I do extend my sincerest apologies for causing the team more work for my disappearance.”

“Ray, while most of us are not familiar with the supernatural, there’s the possibility that this occurrence could have been-” Rip starts, but Ray turns his dark brown eyes on Rip and that gets their Captain’s words to cut off. Ray holds no kindness in his gaze. Where he’s usually pliant and courteous, his eyes show a stone wall.

“The perplexity of the supernatural may be discussed later, but as for my own case it was a mere fact of coming into contact with a hallucinogen down in Daeva’s dungeon that both Sara and Mick were able to avoid.” Ray answers, but his tone is biting enough that the rest of the team looks surprised. He clears his throat, gathering himself again before he gives Rip a nod to continue. “It’s handled.” 

“Very well.” Rip agrees after a beat, but he allows Ray the space he’s silently asking for. He turns back to the center console, now swiping across the screen to pull up needed information. Rip wastes no time starting the briefing.

With Daeva still around, The team’s mission isn’t complete yet. Per Gideon’s searches, the timeline was still at risk of being changed if Daeva wasn’t halted, so the Legends aren’t able to leave the present just yet.

Rip’s got his hands firmly on the computer as he scans through the few images they have. The team’s still trying to locate their target, Aldo Daeva, who’d escaped somewhere at the manor. Rip was still beating himself up about the loss, but that only brings stronger fervor to capturing him this time.

A light beams down between the consoles, now showing images of the home they’d investigated a night before. The first image is of the property with the house standing ominously. The next image is the inside of the home, just through the front door. Ray remembers well.

The sight of the red walls with the velvet furniture sends a spark of fear through Ray. He glimpses down, taking a slow breath through his nose before he looks back up at the pictures. He can do this.

Ray’s hands ball into fists at his sides, letting his fingernails dent into the skin. He needs to keep himself grounded, and if a little pain is what will help then so be it.

“Deava’s attached to the manor. He’s going to be back so we should make another round and see if we can beat him to it.” Rip explains as he flips to another picture. This image is the stairway down to the basement… where Sara, Ray, and Mick had been.

Ray blanches as his heart pounds in his chest. The basement, with all the books, the worn brass tools… the wall of symbols. The sight flashes in front of Ray’s eyes, an uncontrollable vision. He sees himself reach for the stone, then in another flash he’s back in front of the girl with the black eyes-

“Ray.”

Ray snaps out of the reverie, brought back to the present with a harsh jerk of his head. He looks Sara with wide eyes, wondering why she’s said his name. But as his senses come back, he realizes no one else is speaking… and all eyes are on him. He feels his skin grow cold as his nerves get worse and worse. Sara’s eyes drop down to his waist, and then back up to Ray’s brown eyes.

“Are you okay?” Her voice is quiet, as calming as she can manage.

Ray’s lips purse together, but he nods his head. “I’m fine.” He bites out. He feels pinching in his hands as his fingernails dig further and further into his skin.

Sara seems unsure about that, her eyes dropping back down to Ray’s waist. “It doesn’t look like it.”

Ray’s confused, letting his lips separate slightly. He wants to ask what she means, but he glimpses down to where she’s staring and sees exactly what she’s referring to. His fists have a glow around them, and every now and then a crackle emanates from him. He gasps, taking a step back while his hands spread out in front of him. He stares at his bare palms as gray wisps of something like smoke comes from his hands. Unlike smoke, it hangs around him.

“So much for having it handled,” Mick says offhandedly as he watches the events unfold before him.

“Ray…” Nate starts beside him, a sympathetic look on his face. He reaches out, wanting to put a hand on Ray’s shoulder to comfort him but Ray stops him immediately.

Ray puts his hands up, palms flat as he looks at Nate with fear in his eyes. The movement causes the magic around his hands to flare, and just over Nate’s shoulder a pane of glass turns to shards. The glass rains down on the ship’s floor, causing most of the team to flinch or take a step back from the sudden assault. The tips of Ray’s fingers prickle, growing further up Ray’s forearms. Now that the magic is growing, Ray looks even more panicked.

“No,” Ray pleads to no one in particular. He shakes his hands but it doesn’t stop, and the action only causes him to wobble back another step. He spares one last look at his team, finding them all looking back at him with matching expressions of worry and, worst of all, fear.

Ray exhales, broken at the sight of his team fearful of him. He turns around in a flash and bolts from the room as fast as his feet can carry him. It’s a matter of seconds until he disappears down the hall, in the direction of the cargo bay while the team stays silent behind him.

Snart’s the first to step forward, with his eyes still in the direction Ray had fled. “I’ll check on him.” He informs, and then breaks away from the group. He doesn’t wait for a response, and he doesn’t expect one after a spectacle like that. Ray’s going through something no one in that group can imagine, and Snart knows the kind of person Ray is. He’s going to look for someone to listen, so that’s what Snart will do.

He’s reached the cargo bay now, and he’s gentle as he enters… but Ray is nowhere to be found. Frantically, he scans the room but there’s no smiling face looking back at him. His mouth opens, prepared to ask Gideon but the AI’s already answering him.

“Dr. Palmer departed from the ship approximately two minutes ago.” The voice comes calculatedly, showing no signs of worry for Ray.

Len knows better. With a sigh that combines with a growl, he turns and rushes back to the center of the ship. They’re trying to track down their target, and Ray’s not helping by making a break for it every so often. Now that he’s out there it’ll only weaken their defenses. Snart wants to punch Ray in the face, which he just might next time he sees him.

The team glimpses up just as Snart enters, so he wastes not time with dramatics. “He bolted.”

At the comment, Rip’s head falls back and he groans. “Dr. Palmer seems to be _incapable_ of realizing how much danger he is in. With the power that he is harboring…”

“Look, I know a guy. John Constantine.” Sara pauses as she looks around the room, finding the attention now fully on her. “What’s going on here seems to be his… specialty. I say we get in contact with him and he might be able to help us out with Ray _and_ whatever’s going on inside that mansion.”

“I don’t suppose you have his number on hand.” Snart’s tone reveals how snarky he already is, but it’s not going to be easy to quell. Considering Ray’s gone again, and he’s not willing to admit it out loud, but he’s concerned. Whatever happens, he wants to make sure they’ll find Ray quick and unharmed.

-

Ray raps his knuckles against Constantine’s doorway, as patiently as he can manage… but even then it’s not much. The magic is still crawling out of his hands, seeming to flex in and out depending on his mood. Now that he’s at John’s, it’s lessened, but not by much.

The thick wood doorway swings open, revealing John with a scowl on his face, that is until he sees Ray. His eyes widen, and he’s about to greet the other just when he sees what’s going on with Ray’s hands.

“Oh, boy.” John comments lowly, one hand still in his pocket. Ray, truthfully, had expected a more shocked reaction from the warlock, but it’s almost calming to see how Constantine isn’t alarmed. “Come in, Ray. We’ll help you out.”

Ray steps in through the doorway, skin casted with the yellow light from surrounding candles. He waits until John’s got the door shut tightly behind him, and then he’s guided forward by John’s hand in between his shoulders. They walk down the steps until they reach the main portion of Constantine’s lair, and this time they’re not alone.

“Ray, I’d like you to meet my partners. This here is Chas, one of my oldest friends. And over here is Zed, a wonderful woman with some unexplained powers of her own.” With a smile, Constantine turns back to Ray. “Chas, Zed, this is Ray. We have a mutual friend.”

Ray gives the two a polite nod and a tight-lipped smile, which they kindly return. Then John’s guiding Ray to the other end of the room where they can have a bit of privacy.

“So what’s going on, Ray?” Constantine starts as they take slow steps.

“I-I don’t know. I was with my team and I started thinking about Daeva Manor and what happened…” Ray trails off, the thoughts starting to consume him again. John butts in, not allowing that to happen.

Constantine approaches the topic at a slow pace. He can tell already that Ray’s emotions are causing the burst of magic. It’s something he’ll have to work on. “Yes, of course. The markings you saw and the spirits.”  

Ray nods, now looking down at his hands. The gray swirls in between his fingers, clinging to him. “It hasn’t stopped since.” He curls his fingers into his palms, his frustration showing in the crease of his brow.

“Ray, darling,” Constantine drawls while stopping in their tracks, turning Ray towards him. They’re at the end of the room, now having the privacy that John was clearly looking for. “I think these powers were awoken in you when you visited Daeva. I’m not sure what the tie is or why you, but I do know you have to take control of this magic before it takes control of you.”

Ray shakes his head, his eyes fluttering shut. “I don’t know how.”

Constantine huffs out a laugh at that, a smile flourishing onto his face. He reaches out, placing one hand on Ray’s shoulder firmly. “Stay here tonight. There’s plenty for you to research. You’ve got me, Zed, and Chas. We can help.”

Ray’s hesitant. He doesn’t like the idea of having to rely on others, especially people that he rarely knows. But he has no other choice. He refuses to go back to his team, around people he cares about when he can hurt them. And the fear he can see in their eyes… he doesn’t think he can take their stares much longer. He was an outcast before, but now he feels even further thrown from his team.

“Okay,” he agrees with a weak smile. It twitches in just a way that lets Constantine know how much he truthfully is hurting. He’s not the best at comfort, but he can’t help but give Ray a wobbly smile of his own.

“You’re a smart fella. Why don’t you come over here and help us. Ever since you told me about Daeva manor I’ve been trying to study some spells that might fight him off.” Constantine explains, giving Ray enough space in case he changes his mind. He tilts his head carefully over his shoulder, where Chas stands with his hands flat on the table and his head bent over multiple volumes.

Ray’s lips purse together in a smile, but he nods in agreement. He follows Constantine over, suddenly thinking about the fact he’s going to have to go through the troubles of introductions. He can feel his heart speed up as he starts to fret, but Constantine’s talking before he has any more time to think.

“Chas, Zed, this is Ray. He’s a friend of a friend who’s going to stay with us for the night. Ray, this big, burly mass of a man is Chas. And this lovely, witted woman is Zed.” He turns to flash Ray a smile, and Ray can feel his heart calming down within seconds. He smiles and nods at Chas and Zed in greeting.

They share kind smiles with him, only soothing Ray even further. They converse shortly as they give their hellos and short introductions. Then they get to the matter at hand. Finding out how they can take out Daeva.

“I don’t get it, John. I’ve been through every book on the table and still nothing. There’s not much that talks about releasing souls from the hands of a nearly immortal warlock.” Chas answers as he pushes away from the table to run a hand through his locks.

Ray watches as Constantine lifts a hand to rest of Chas’s lower back, his thumb stroking back and forth once before his hand is gone. The gesture is short, but Ray can’t stop being interested by the movement. He glimpses back up, finding Chas’s face more relaxed than before just by Constantine’s touch. But then he turns to Constantine and the other is already pulling away to look down at the books.

He pushes a few of the leather-bound volumes around, until his hand lands a three pushed off to the side. He quirks a brow as he turns back to Chas. “What about these?”

Chas’s eyes trail over to the spell books in question, only sighing heavily in response. “Those are in a language I’ve never seen before. No help to me.”

Constantine flips open the first book, which is wrapped in brown leather that was pressed with a hot iron to leave an emblem on the front. Something about it piques Ray’s interest, and suddenly he’s filled with a familiarity as he looks up on the object. He feels almost childish as he awaits Constantine to flip the book open.

He’s not sure what he expected, but he gets even more than anticipated. Chas is right, the language on the pages is something Ray has never seen before. Yet he can read everything scribed on the page in the elegant black ink.

Constantine doesn’t seem to have the same ability, because he purses his lips and shakes his head in defeat. “Something Jasper must have had lying around… I’ve heard of this language before, but haven’t actually seen anything written in it before. Something that the Druids but it’s been dead for thousands of years.”

Constantine’s about to press the book closed and move on, when Ray finds himself speaking up. “Wait,” he starts off strongly, but the second all three pairs of eyes land on him he feels trapped. He swallows but continues on. “I can read that.” He answers as he nods towards the first book.

There’s a heavy air around the few in the room, and Ray’s suddenly regretting ever speaking up. But there’s a few seconds as Chas and Constantine turn to look at one another. Matching smiles grow on their faces, and soon Zed’s grinning too.

Chas turns to look at Ray that shows how impressed he is with him. “Looks like we’ve got a hand over Daeva after all.”

Ray’s lips curl up shyly as he’s pulled in by Chas. Now all four hover over the books as they devise a thorough plan on how to take down the latest villain.

-

“Rip!” Jax exclaims as he goes rushing towards the main office. He jumps up on the ledge, finding both Sara and Rip turning towards him with interest. “We were able to track the electromagnetic signature from Ray’s phone and we got a ping. It’s off, so we can’t call him but we know exactly where he’s at.”

Sara pushes her way off the desk, now stepping towards Jax seriously. “And where’s that?”

“He’s headed back to Daeva’s manor.” Jax answers grimly, eyes flitting between Sara and Rip with concern.

His two captains turn towards one another, sharing a momentary look before snapping into action.

“Jax, get Nate, Snart. We’re going to bring him back.”

-

Within seconds, Sara, Nate, Snart, and Jax are breeching the doorway of the haunting mansion… but everything looks untouched. They’re more hesitant as they walk in, looking around at the cob-webbed furniture, dingy wallpaper, and rotting floor boards.

“I swear the damn thing said Ray was here.” Jax adds on as Sara glimpses at him.

“I bet he’s in the cellar,” Nate ponders, gaining both Jax’s and Sara’s attention. “That’s why he’s been so bothered, after all. He’s probably searching for answers.”

“So what are we waiting for then?” Snart barks, moving towards the cellar door and flinging it open. The rest of the team follow closely behind him as they make their way down the stone steps as quickly as they can, but they’re carved uneven which makes their footing wobbly.

But once they pour into the main room, they all pause. The candelabras are all illuminated, new books are piled on the table… and there’s more than just Ray in the room. Sara recognizes Constantine, off to the side, but there’s also Chas and a Zed, who she’s not familiar with.

She steps closer, now studying Constantine, Ray, and Zed.

The sight of the three trapped within the chalk-drawn pentagram is unnerving. The team have all experienced horrible things before, but this feels like it’s straight out of horror film. Ray, Constantine, and Zed are all knelt down in respectable points of the pentagram, facing one another. Each have marks inscribed on their skin, drawn in something red that, considering the nature of this situation, is probably blood of some sort of animal.

“Get him out of there-” Sara starts, but Chas steps forward with a look of warning. He puts one hand up to stop her, but that only gets him a glare from Sara.

“We can’t break the ritual now. If we do then all three of their souls will be damned forever.” He’s blunt with the news, but its best. Now they’ll all proceed with caution to prevent exactly that from happening. Sara knows what it feels like to have her soul lost and she won’t make Ray go through that.

Sara steps back, jaw flexing as her teeth grit together. While Chas is just a part in this play, Sara’s rage is building and it’s directed at him.

“I’m sure you want to kill me but that won’t do any good.” Chas says awkwardly, eyes darting down and then back up to Sara. “I’ll only come back to life.”

Jax’s head tilts to the side from where he stands in the back and Nate glimpses over to Jax for verification that he heard that right. The two stare at each other in confusion, curious as to what Chas could possibly mean by coming back, but that will have to wait for another time.

“We’re not leaving here without him.” Sara shoots back, her hands itching to grab onto her batons.

“I hope you won’t have to.” Chas answers, but he doesn’t move away from where he stands. He’s clearly still concerned that the Legends will try and disrupt the ritual. “But right now all three of them are no longer on the same plane as us so we _have_ to wait until they come back to us on their own.”

Snart now steps forward, his shoulders broad and his eyes carrying a heavy threat. “And why the hell are they doing this?”

Chas straightens up as well, but he looks at Snart with a far kinder gaze. He doesn’t look at the Legends like he wants to fight, he simply wants his friends to be safe. Something in his eyes says that’s now Ray too. It looks like he’s already accepted Ray into their little supernatural group.

Chas breathes carefully before he explains. “They’re trying to free all of the souls trapped here by Daeva.”

No one has a chance to say anything more because there’s a crack in the air, followed by a rumbling like the combination of lightning and thunder. Everyone glimpses up from the sound, half flinching and half jumping into ready in case there’s something they need to fight. Instead they find John looking up from his spot, eyes wide and full of concern while both Ray and Zed remain in their trances.

Constantine was thrown backwards onto his bottom, but now he’s rushing back to his knees. He scoots as close as he can to Ray, looking the man in the face but receiving no physical response. “Ray, don’t you _do_ this!” He screams, beyond the point of frustration.

Chas now takes quick steps over to the circle, staying just on the outskirts. That causes John to look up at him, but John just looks worn and out of breath. He turns back to Ray, lifting a hand and slapping it across Ray’s cheek in short procession.

“Ray, he _cannot_ have your magic! I see it now. This was all a trap to get you!” Constantine tries again, slapping harder and just once. He waits for a beat, hoping to see Ray snap out of the reverie but nothing comes.

“What’s going on?” Chas inquires, stepping to the side to get John’s attention but never stepping past the pentagram on the floor.

Constantine looks up through his panic, eyes landing directly on Chas. He doesn’t pay any attention to the fellow Legends surrounding Chas. “Daeva’s bargaining. Freeing all of the souls… for Ray’s.” John runs one hand through his blond hair before exhaling. “Which undoubtedly will pass Ray’s powers over to Daeva.”

Zed gasps, ragged like she’s been holding her breath, as she breaks out of her trance. Her eyes fly open next, wide and landing directly on Ray. She reaches out, about to cup his face in her hands just as a flare of magic bursts her and Constantine out of the circle. They slide backwards, Zed landing just outside with John a few feet from her.

John’s recovering quickly, moving over to her side to help her up. They clasp hands and help one another to their feet. “What happened, Zed?” John presses, hands still clasped together.

“Ray, he… Daeva wanted to make a deal but Ray wouldn’t.” Zed’s squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she wills away the disorientation she feels from being thrown back into consciousness. The drastic change from walking on a different plane to being back in her physical body is nauseating. “He’s still there.”

Chas’s shoulders fall as the breath he was holding leaves him. His head dips slightly, which only causes a bolt of fear to fill the Legends. Unlike Constantine, Chas, and Zed, they’re not familiar with the supernatural and they’ve got no idea what this means.

Jax steps forward, his eyes glazing over Ray worriedly. “Is he going to come back?”

Zed’s eyes land on Ray, surprise now shimmering in her eyes. She turns to John with disbelief. “He’s… he’s holding the spell by his own.”

John searches her eyes, but finally he nods.

Snart’s stepping forward, a demand hanging on the tip of his tongue just as another flare comes from the circle. Ray’s back arches, his head now falling back on his shoulders. His eyes remain shut tightly, and seconds later his mouth falls open as he screams out in pain. A light comes from the edges of the pentagram, now flexing until it bursts.

Everyone brings their arms up instinctively to cover their eyes from the burst of light, and are pushed back a step from the force. When they look back towards Ray they find the symbols from the rock pulsing. One by one, wisps of gray exits the stone, only to float up towards the ceiling and disappear.

Constantine exhales as he watches. “Ray did it.”

Zed steps forward, now breaching the circle. Ray’s head has fallen forward, hanging loose as if he’s unconscious while kneeling. She keeps her distance, but falls into a crouch as she looks at Ray.

“Ray…” she starts softly. “Are you still with us?”

The room is now silent as the last of the spirits make their exit. Now the air hangs thick as they all wait patiently for Ray’s response. There’s a beat of silence, no one moves and no one says anything.

But a small chuckle comes from Ray. His head remains dipped down so no one is able to see is face, but it’s undoubtedly from him. Slowly, Ray lifts his head, a sick and twisted smile on his face. His eyes are still closed as he looks up, but he’s turned directly in Zed’s direction.

“Ray.” Zed reiterates, more forceful this time. “Or am I speaking with Daeva?”

Ray chuckles again, his eyes now opening leisurely. His eyes are typically a warm brown, but not this time. His iris is flooded black, but it’s lined with a gold that seems to be melding into his eyes. He looks at Zed with a mix of hatred and amusement.

“Daeva would never be able to take me. He was _weak_. He’s gone. For good.” Ray spits out, his hands lying on his knees. His palms are up, with his fingers only slightly curled in.

“Zed,” Constantine says warningly. He’s steps into the pentagram, his eyes glued strictly to Ray.

Ray looks up towards Constantine, slow and predatorily once he enters the circle. His hair hangs down onto his forehead, plastered to his skin from the sweat that prospered. His skin looks pale and clammy, but that doesn’t stop Ray from looking dangerous.

“John,” Ray says in greeting, but his voice has grown deeper. “Coming closer for a kiss?”

Ray’s laughing again, darkly. He glimpses over his shoulder, now finding the eyes of his team plastered on him. Knowing he has their attention on him, his lips curl into a smirk and he winks. The team only looks concerned, which causes Ray to laugh even harder.

Ray is no longer Ray. He’s not the jovial teammate that they all had grown to care for. The usual kindness he holds is now gone, and there’s no sign that it ever existed now that he’s got his glimmering eyes on them. His new appearance and powers is enough to cause the team to be wary, which he picks up on.

He purses his lips in somewhat of a frown, but a smile peaks through. “Oh, you poor souls. Finally afraid of me. It’s about time you see the monster I am.”

“If it’s not Daeva than why is Ray like this?” Zed asks, eyes darting over to Constantine for an answer.

Constantine reaches for Zed, getting her to stand again. He looks down at Ray with his lips pressed firmly together. “You know the saying “consumed by darkness”?”

Zed nods slowly at that.

John’s head tilts to the side as he moves from foot to foot. He’s getting a strong stance, raising his hands to his sides. “Ray’s kind invented that saying.”

“Ray’s kind?” Sara mirrors.

Ray’s now standing to his feet as well, his hands still rigid with his palms out. The tips of his fingers are turning black, as if he’d suffered from frostbite. John knows if he doesn’t get Ray back then that blackness will only continue until it transforms Ray into someone else. He understands that Constantine is on to him, so a the air in the room starts to spin.

“Ray, you need to control your power!” Constantine yells over the growing rush of air.

The cracks in Ray’s palms start to glow a vivid orange, as if there’s a fire underneath his skin. It traces up, now tracing along the veins in his arms. John can see the blackness grow up the entirety of Ray’s fingers. Soon his entire hands will be taken.

“I don’t need control!” Ray screams back with rage. “I’ve been nothing but good and look at me! I’m nothing!”

“Ray, you need to find your light! Without it, this magic will consume you,” John’s tone turns sad as he continues on. “And you won’t come back the same person.”

Ray’s lips curl upwards devilishly. “Good. I didn’t quite like myself to begin with.” Ray lifts his left hand towards Zed and Constantine and a burst of energy expels from his palm. The two are sent backwards, out of the circle and flat onto their backs. They slide against the floor, crumpling side by side.

“Ray!” Sara yells, taking a bold step forward to stop him from attacking Zed and John.

Ray freezes at the voice, his lips pressing together in anger. Slowly, he turns around to face the others, finding all eyes glued directly to him. His nostrils flare as he looks at them all with anger. His palms flare at his sides, the glowing orange trailing up to the crease of his elbow. The black seems to crawl after it, consuming Ray in its path. It’s like a fire, and following is the ash.

“And what could all of you possibly want?” Ray sneers as he takes a step closer. All the while, he stays inside of the pentagram.

“We’re here for you.” Jax says softly as he moves closer. He looks at his teammate with sorrow in his eyes, sad that Ray’s dealing with all of this. “We care about you. _I_ care for you, Ray.”

Ray blanches at the statement, the orange receding backwards for a fraction of a minute. Then Ray’s eyes glow harsher and the orange crawls back up Ray’s veins. The corner of his mouth quirks up as he reverts to his stage a few moments prior. “Good try.” He chuckles.

“This isn’t you, Ray! Don’t let the dark claim you. There’s no turning back after that.” Constantine growls from the back. He and Zed are now back on their feet and surrounding the circle. He’s got his arm cradling his torso since the throw back did cause a few bruised ribs.

Ray’s eyes scrunch together tightly, and his jaw shuts tightly. He’s fighting it.

“You don’t know what I am!” He rages, but his tone has turned harsh. He sounds pained with every word he says as he fights against the magic that’s threatening to take over him. His eyes open again, this time landing back on his team. A wobbly, dangerous smile curls onto his lips. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

Chas takes one step in front of the Legends defensively. He’s got his eyes on Ray, glimpsing at both Zed and Constantine who hover right behind Ray. He talks, but never takes his eyes off of them. “You all need to go before he decides to kill us all.”

Snart now steps forward, unhurriedly and completely disregarding what Chas has said. The others watch him, but Snart only keeps his focus on Ray. He continues on, even stepping past the glowing line of the pentagram. He never looks down, but he knows he’s fully inside the pentagram by the sheer electricity he feels in the air.

“Raymond,” Snart’s voice is cool. He’s not requesting the other’s attention, he’s simply letting Ray know he’s there. “You need to come back to me as _you._ Whatever you’re going through we can fight it together.”

Ray opens his eyes and his familiar brown eyes are back. He looks down at his blackened hands and the orange glowing from his veins with panic. His lips part as he has a thousand questions, but he only looks up at Snart. “Leave me. I’m only going to hurt you.” His request is quiet, and Leonard can tell how broken Ray is in that moment.

Leonard’s always aware of his actions, he knows what he does and why he does it. Growing up he learned it’s important to be aware of everything he does, especially since his father was Lewis Snart. But when he reaches out for Ray’s hand, he doesn’t have to think about it.

He’s gentle as his hand clamps onto Ray, keeping his eyes planted right on him. Ray exhales at the touch, and the orange tracing his veins flutters and starts to crawl back. Len can feel his heart start to pick up pace, hoping that this will work.

Ray growls once, and Snart can feel every bit of Ray tense underneath him. His muscles are clenched tight, and his grip on Leonard has become almost painful. With one last scream, another burst of energy expels directly from Ray’s body but Snart stays forcefully where he is.

There’s a beat of silence where Ray doesn’t say anything. He’s only breathing heavy, his shoulders moving with each inhale. Then, Ray looks up at Snart with those brown eyes that Snart will never take for granted again. He offers Len a weak smile, and then his knees go weak and he’s falling into Snart.

Snart huffs out at the weight suddenly put on him, but he’s quick and grabs Ray firmly. He makes sure Ray’s okay, checking his pulse and then checking Ray’s hands. The blackness is nowhere to be found, and his veins are the normal hint of blue under his skin. It’s as if Ray wasn’t almost just consumed by power.

Snart doesn’t care. He brings one hand up to cradle the back of Ray’s head, sighing. He remembers the eyes on him, so he reins his emotions in and acts accordingly. He bends at the knees, gathering Ray in his arms the best he can. He turns to the rest of the team with his brows scrunched.

“We better get out of here because he’s heavier than he looks.” Snart continues on with his usual snarky attitude, doing what he always does to lighten a dark situation. He has half the notion to keep quiet, but he feels like Ray would appreciate the comment. At the thought, he looks down at the man in his arms.

Ray’s head is lolled backwards, revealing his pale neck. His larynx protrudes prominently, and his jaw line looks even more defined from where Len stands. It would usually be a welcomed sight, but Ray only looks damaged in Snart’s arms. And Leonard can’t shake the feeling that he’s only picking up an empty corpse.

Snart tightens his group, shifting Ray the best he can. The movement causes Ray’s head to loll to the side, now resting comfortably on Snart’s chest. From here, Leonard can feel the small breaths Ray takes. This way he knows Ray’s still with them.

-

Eventually they make their way to Constantine’s millhouse, after piling into Chas’s extremely small taxi. But after an impossible matter of minutes, they were pushing into the mysterious cottage. It was dark at first, but Chas and Zed when around turning on a few laps and lighting candles on their way.

Constantine kept Ray as his priority, giving Snart one firm stare before jutting his head over his shoulder. “Follow me.” He breathes as his eyes fall down to Ray’s ashen face. With another breath, he turns and heads in the direction with Snart hot on his tail.

Sara glimpses over her shoulder at Jax and Nate with a familiar look. She leaves no room for argument as she points at them. “Stay here. Don’t touch anything.” Then she spins on her heel after giving her orders and follows after Snart.

Constantine leads then down something of a corridor, with books lining one side, and a half wall on the other. He then steps around the halfway and down into a lounge room, where a large red couch awaits them. He steps aside, waving gently at the furniture for Snart.

Leonard steps forward without another word, setting Ray down as gently as he can manage. Once he actually has a hand free, he grabs a pillow and tucks it under Ray’s head so the other won’t wake up with a sore neck. Ray still hasn’t shown any signs of waking up, and his face so pale that Snart would consider taking him to the hospital if it wasn’t for the nightmare of a story he would have to explain. He knows it’s best to keep himself perched beside Ray to wait.

“Thanks,” Sara says quietly, glimpsing out of the corner of her eye at Constantine. “For keeping him alive… for taking care of Daeva.”

Constantine shifts onto his other first awkwardly, pursing his lips together in a displeased smile. He looks at Ray’s pallid face with guilt written on his own. “Ray did that on his own, love. He’s got immeasurable power, beyond anything you may imagine. Which is why I think he should stay with me until he learns how to control it.”

“He’s our _teammate._ ” Sara retaliates with, looking at Constantine with a mix of something of anger and disbelief that he’d be so bold to suggest that. “We can’t just _leave_ him.”

“It’s safer not only for you all but for Ray. He nearly lost his soul tonight because his powers have _finally_ been unlocked. What happens when you’re time travelling and something sets him off? Ray needs to be educated on his gift so he doesn’t-” Constantine cuts himself off now, getting too heated. He pauses, pressing his knuckles against his lips and then sighing. He tries again. “Ray cannot be claimed by the darkness. The man you know and love will be _gone_. He’ll turn into a monster, ravishing everything in his path until he’s killed. And if you know Ray as well as I assume you do, you know he would never want to continue living if it meant others would be in danger.”

“He’s right,” Leonard breathes from the couch, eyes still downcast at Ray. He looks exhausted, as if seeing Ray underneath him is draining his energy. “Ray’s far better off without us and you know it Sara.”

Despite the fact that she _knows_ what’s best in this situation, it doesn’t make it any easier. Her gaze falls to the floor as she exhales, the pain in her chest starting to make it hard to breath. But after steadying breath, she turns towards Constantine with a firmer expression. “If anything happens to him-” she starts, but Constantine’s grinning.

“You’ll have to get in the back of the line to kill me, doll,” the blond jokes, but he reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder. “He’s going to be alright.”

She’s feeling her eyes burning now, but she gives Constantine a nod and steps away. “Snart. Let’s go.” Then, without another look, she turns and heads for the doorway.

Now it’s Leonard’s turn to take in a grounding breath as he gives Ray one last glimpse. While it’s out of the ordinary for him, he feels the sudden urge to brush Ray’s hair out of his face… so he does. With tender fingers he pushes the hair out of Ray’s eyes. He wants to say goodbye, but in the end he knows its better this way. For both him and Ray.

So he rises, falling into step behind Sara. They meet Jax and Nate at the doorway, both very confused to not see their tall, smiley teammate with them.

“Where’s Ray-” Nate starts, but Sara gives him a sharp shake of the head.

“He’s not coming with us,” is all she provides, pushing the large oak door open and stepping out into the night.

Snart doesn’t feel like explaining either, so he follows after the other, already feeling Jax and Nate flanking them.

Ray Palmer. Former Legend. Not by choice.

Leonard hopes he gets a chance to see Ray again. And he hopes Ray can forgive him for leaving him in the present.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a part three!


End file.
